Jennifer Hansen will not return to the “More Music Breakfast Show” on Melbourne’s Smooth FM 91.5 next year.
Hansen has been with the program for nine years and said she was leaving for personal and professional reasons.
“Exciting news, albeit tinged with sadness, that after nine wonderful years, I am finishing up at Smooth FM 91.5 for personal and professional reasons, but at least I’ll be able to turn off that dreaded 3:50 a.m. alarm,” she said.
“I am very grateful for my time on air with Mike Perso and the brilliant team behind our breakfast show including producer Lauren Saylor and journalist Nikole Gunn,” she said in a statement.
“I’m so proud of everything Mike and I achieved over our nine years including winning the No. 1 FM breakfast radio program spot twice. We also became great friends and shared plenty of good times and laughter throughout the years.”
Perso echoed this sentiment in his own statement.
“In the almost nine years that Jen and I spent together on air, she became not just a colleague but a friend,” he said. “We shared many laughs and I wish her nothing but happiness in whatever adventures lie ahead.
“To paraphrase the great Bob Dylan – May God bless and keep you always and may you stay forever young.”
Hansen also thanked her supporters and alluded to more news to come.
“A huge thank you to our wonderful Smooth listeners for their loyalty over the years and to my incredible family, especially Alan for all his support and guidance. It’s now time for some very exciting new adventures – stay tuned,” she said.
In the last radio ratings of 2022, Smooth FM had a 7.2% share in breakfast, largely steady with the 7.3% from the prior survey. This put it behind the likes of 3AW (22.8%), Gold 104.3 (9.9%), Fox FM (8.4%), ABC Melbourne (8.0%), and Nova 100 and Kiis 101.1 (both on 7.5%).
Smooth’s “More Music Breakfast Show”, hosted by Perso, will return on Monday Jan. 16.